An agreement reached between Algeria and Belgium on migration returns and visa exemptions came to underscore Algeria’s growing regional and European isolation and its increasing reliance on transactional diplomacy amid strained ties with key partners such as France.
The deal was concluded during a visit by Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf to Brussels end of March.
It provides for faster repatriation of Algerian nationals in an irregular situation in Belgium, in exchange for visa-free access for holders of Algerian diplomatic and service passports.
Under the arrangement, Algeria committed to identifying its nationals subject to removal orders within 15 days, a sharp reduction compared with previous procedures that often took months.
The agreement also allows for group deportations on dedicated flights, with the involvement of Algerian security escorts, according to details publicly outlined by Belgian authorities.
Belgium has said that more than 2,000 Algerian nationals are currently subject to expulsion orders, out of an Algerian population estimated at about 30,000.
In return, Belgium would grant visa exemptions to Algerian diplomatic and service passport holders, facilitating access not only to Belgium but also to the wider Schengen area.
In Algeria, such passports are held by a broad range of officials and senior figures beyond the diplomatic corps.
While Belgian officials framed the agreement as pragmatic cooperation, critics argue that it reflects Algeria’s weakened position in Europe following diplomatic disputes with France and Spain, and signals a departure from what Algerian officials have long labelled as a “principled diplomacy” toward ad hoc bargaining.
Relations between Algiers and Paris remain tense. France suspended visa exemptions for Algerian diplomatic and service passports in August 2025 after cooperation on migrant returns broke down.
French authorities have repeatedly cited Algeria’s refusal to issue consular travel documents as a major obstacle to removals.
Against that backdrop, the Belgian deal contrasts sharply with Algeria’s stance toward France, prompting observers to describe it as selective cooperation driven by immediate interests rather than consistent policy. Brussels’ diplomatic positions, including on the Sahara, are broadly aligned with France’s, making the differentiated treatment particularly striking, critics say.
Belgium has backed the autonomy plan and expanded its consular services in Morocco covering all the national territory including the Sahara.
Such reversals reinforce perceptions of a foreign policy marked by abrupt shifts between confrontation and accommodation, often without clear strategic gains.
